Trauma-Informed Evaluation and Research

Martha A. Brown, PhD, is an independent evaluation consultant in Minnesota. Her interests and expertise include trauma-informed practices, restorative justice, and culturally responsive evaluation approaches. She has applied these various methods and philosophies to her work as well as to her own healing from adverse childhood experiences and other traumas. As president and founder of RJAE Consulting, Dr. Brown helps individuals and organizations become restorative and trauma-informed through online courses, workshops, and coaching sessions.Aaron W. Kates, PhD, LCSW, is an Indiana-based evaluation consultant with Effect X, where he works with a range of for-profit and nonprofit organizations designing and implementing program evaluations. As a social worker, mental health counselor, evaluation scholar and practitioner, and survivor of childhood trauma, Dr. Kates brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to trauma-informed evaluation and research. He worked as a trauma therapist with unaccompanied minors before pursuing his doctoral education.

• I. Understanding Individual and Collective Traumas--Including Our Own1. What Is Trauma?2. How Our Own Traumas Influence Our Work3. Foundational Principles of TIERII. The Evaluation Landscape4. Representation of Trauma in the Evaluation and Research Literature5. TIER’s Congruence with Evaluation Approaches6. Equity-Focused and Trauma-Informed Evaluation and ResearchIII. Doing TIER7. Being a TI Researcher and Evaluator8. Designing and Framing TIER9. Making Surveys Trauma Informed10. TI Interviews and Focus Groups11. TI Analysis and ReportingIV. Growing TIER12. TI Programs, Organizations, and SystemsAppendix A. Recommended Literature Referencing the Six PrinciplesAppendix B. Trauma-Informed Coalitions and OrganizationsAppendix C. Resources for Deeper Learning.Appendix D. What about Fawning?TIER GlossaryReferencesIndex

“Trauma-informed care has led to innovations in programs and practices, but guidance for conducting TIER has largely been lacking. This book fills a gap by offering clear, actionable instruction on applying TIER across settings where trauma-informed approaches are needed. The authors adopt a strengths-based perspective and address challenging issues with clarity and rigor. Case studies and reflection prompts make the content directly useful to practitioners, evaluators, and researchers.â€--Emily Adlin Bosk, LMSW, PhD, School of Social Work, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; originator of the TIER framework“A comprehensive conceptual and methodological resource for evaluators and practitioners who work with populations that have experienced significant trauma. This book explains trauma-informed principles and applies them to evaluation scholarship and practice in a thoughtful, sensible way. It is written in a clear and engaging style. The illustrative examples span multiple types and contexts of trauma, which is a key strength of the book.â€--Rebecca Campbell, PhD, University Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Michigan State University-